The Deathly Pair
by mrscatogranger
Summary: This is a Clato Cato and Clove fanfic. I don't own the characters. Based of the series by Suzanne Collins. Also it does not at all follow the plot in the real book.


Chapter One

I've known Cato Graph since I was a little girl, and have loved him for almost as long. But Cato and me have only ever had a strictly friends relationship. Lots of girls like Cato in District 2, and he has had too many girlfriends to count. Although I don't know if you could call them girlfriends; considering Cato has never treated any of them like his girlfriend. He usually will just hook up with them once or twice, if they're lucky, and never talk to them again. And every day, when I walk home from training with him I watch those discarded hearts eye us with jealousy and a thirst for vengeance, if only there was something between us to be jealous about. I know that Cato will never love me, and that I can't get over him. I'll be waiting for something that will never come for my whole life.

Cato waits for me outside the 16 year old girl's wing at The District Two Training Center and we start walking home. Tomorrow is the reaping, so the mood of the town is more quiet and forlorn than usual. Although, the reaping in our district is usually more festive than in the poor districts like 11 and 12 because here people actually want the honor of going into The Hunger Games. Because we have a chance of winning. I've always craved for my name to be picked out of the glass jar, and feared Cato's name being called, even though I know he could dominate. But if he won and came back, my chances of attaining him would be even less than now, because every girl would be fighting to get him; even more than now.

"You ready for tomorrow?" Cato asks me in his deep, older than 16 years voice. I look over at him. I resist the urge to grab his hands and hug him. Instead I look down at the ground and hold my tongue about volunteering. If I have to live my whole life watching Cato love other girls, I'd rather take the chance of dying.

"Of course." I'm not scared. Even though I have a girly stature; long brown hair, emerald eyes, and a tall, slender, but strong body, I'm not like other girls. I'm a fighter, I'm vicious, and Cato knows that. Maybe that's why he's not attracted to me.

"Yeah, me too." But today, Cato's acting different. Not scared, but not as confident. No one else would be able to tell, but I can after years of analyzing his every move. We reach my house in the Graphite village and I invite Cato in for a cup of tea. He sits behind me at the kitchen table as I fill the pot with water and set it on the stove. I pour us each a cup and bring them into the living room to drink.

"Clove." I turn around. He comes up behind me and pulls me into a hug. I wrap my arms around his broad, muscular back and enjoy the hug. Cato is not particularly affectionate to people he's not romantic with. He's not an open, friendly person. It's the way we were raised here; ready to kill. And before I can react, his lips are on mine. My heart stops. This perfect moment that I had waited so long for. We sit onto the couch, arms wrapped around each other. It is a perfect, amazing kiss that is worth all the wait and pain. His hands press into my back and I grab his hand. When we finally pull apart, I look at him.

"You know, I'm going to volunteer tomorrow if I'm not picked." I say, smiling, reaching up for another kiss. Cato stiffens and ducks his head.

"What are you talking about?"

I roll my eyes. "What do you think I'm talking about? We've both always wanted to be in the Hunger Games."

"You can't go."

"Why not?" I asked, starting to become angry.

"You'll get yourself killed, Clove! What do you think? 24 kids and one winner. ONE!"

"You don't think I could win." I whisper. I move away from him, to the other side of the couch.

"That's not true." He said it so quickly, without a thought. He could lie easily.

"Why now? We've always been training partners. You know who I am, what I can do."

"It's vicious in there."

"But you could win, right? You would. I know what I'm getting myself into! I'm not a little girl."

Cato shook his head.

"What? Am I a little girl to you? Just your little friend. I should have known. I'll never be good enough. Not if I win. I'll come back, with all the glory but you'll still be above me. All high and mighty! And the other girls would still be more appealing, wouldn't they?" I looked down. "Why did you kiss me? You didn't plan on ever talking to me again? I had no chance, did I? No, I never did. No matter what. No girl does with you. But I was stupid enough to believe for that one second that there was something mutual. You would have just ignored me like every other girl in your little game."

Cato raised his eyes to me, confused.

"You knew. You knew how I felt about you." He shook his head. "Yes. Yes you did!" I screamed at him. "You made me weak, taking advantage of me, just to make me like you more. That's what you do, though. I should have seen it coming. You already regret it. All I've ever been is little Clove. Never desirable, never beautiful. You made me into one of those stupid girls, Cato. I'm not one of those girls, I'm stronger than them!"

Cato stared at me, his face passive. He reached out.

"None of that is true."

"Liar. You would have pretended it never happened. Something that meant so much to me meant nothing to you… Get out."

"Clove, please. Listen to me."

"Get out! GET OUT CATO!" I screamed, throwing the tea tray against the wall. I heard Cato's feet thud against the floor as he walked out and I curled up into a ball on the couch. He left. Cato didn't deal with feelings; he ignored them and acted indifferent to them. But still, he left. That proved what had haunted me all along. He would never be mine. He didn't have any feelings for me.

I didn't sleep at all that night. And when I woke up, my mom ignored my puffy red eyes and just started making me look beautiful for the reaping. I did my hair in a simple, curly down hairdo and wore my mom's pearl earrings. I wore a powder blue sundress and my fancy gray flats. I walked to the town square by myself, sweating. Even though I wanted this, it was like everything was changing. Which it was. Life would never be the same. If it continued.

After I signed in and was walking to the 16 year old girl section, I felt someone grab my arm. Cato. The sight of him sent my mind reeling and threw up a mixture of emotions. Mostly anger. I attempted to wrench my arm away from him but his 6'4 body was stronger. I twisted my arm around before it was clear I wasn't leaving. Embarrassed, I looked the other way.

"Clove, I know you think it's the right choice. But it's _not._ Don't do it."

"You really think I'm going to die." I laughed. "I'll show you. I'll show them all. Just wait. Why do you care anyways? That's not like you… to care for people? No, no, no. Not Cato. So tell me, what's the real reason? Want the glory all for yourself? That's a little selfish, Cato. But this is really something. Why? I'm genuinely curious, WHY do you care?"  
Cato didn't answer. I laughed again, innocently. "I guess I'll never know." I finally wrenched my arm free, hitting his face in the process. He glowered at me until a Peacekeeper came over.

"Go to your spots." The Peacekeeper told us.

"Of course." I smiled sweetly, and then addressed Cato. "And Cato? May the odds be _ever_ in your favor." With that, I walked away and took my place. The Games were about to begin.


End file.
